Power chords. good? bad?

I just had to add this... since when does a "harmonic structure" become the end all for a genra? I play metal with minors and all that "blues" stuff, and Ive played blues with powerchords and bar chords as well as scream riffs and stuff, Take AC DC, They use a lot of "real" chords in a few songs but their still just as rock and roll arent they? Ive read in a few books that blues is defined by the structures of the song... not the chords themselves, like 1:4:5 is still 1:4:5 is its a minor dimished whatever or a power chord. Its just not as "classical blues sounding"

since when does a "harmonic structure" become the end all for a genra
Without a harmonic structure, you don't have a genre. Play a major scale riff over major scale chords - that's not the blues. Most blues is based on the I-IV-V chord progression, usually played as I - IV7 - V7 over a 12-bar pattern - how do you do that with powerchords? How do you create the dissonance, that is so redolent of the blues, with neutered chords?
The harmonic structure is what defines a genre - how else do you differentiate between C&W, Blues or Swing?

I second that. Harmonic structure is massively important. Im still at a loss to figure out how on earth you can make a bluesy song with Pc's. No blue note. No flat 3rd. Nothing...

Manitou, I would like to know which books those are that you read. B/c they're wrong. The chords and scale used over it are what make the song bluesy. The progression is not that important. You can use (almost) any progression you want and get a bluesy feel as long as the chords and scale are blues oriented.

If you wanted a bluesy feel with power chords could you do something like this:

Take a chord such as Cm7, which is kind of a sad sounding chord. It's notes being C-Eb-G-Bb then take the 3rd and 7th out an have Eb-Bb which is Eb5. Doesn't sound quite as sad as Cm7 but doesn't have dissonance with distortion.

Not sure if that gets a bluesy feel, but it worked in a song I wrote.

OWA, I'm sorry, you're wrong.

The Eb-Bb interval is not dissonant.

It is a perfect 5th interval which is definitionally consonant.

Distortion is not dissonance.

Possibly what you're saying is to use that where you'd use the Cm7. In whcih case what you're playing is the 3-7 of Cm7 while presumable the base or another instrument is playing the root.

In that case you what you have is a Cm7 chord where you aren't plaing the root or the fifth but the bad is. That will have the same effect as a Cm7, you're correct. But the interval you're playing is still not a dissonant interval.

But then what you're talking about is an arrangement question, not a composition question. Played on a single instrument you'd want someone to play a Cm7 and not an Eb5, you wouldn't be writing Eb5 on the lead sheet.

I love this conversation! Keep it going, y'all! I want to eavesdrop!

Thanks for the replys. Glad to hear Pc are tools and nothing more. The conversation has gone over my head though. But it's still interesting.

JediSteven

There is nothing wrong with powerchords. They sound awesome, especially with distortion.

The problem is that many beginning guitarists learn powerchords and then stop there. Punk music is about 99% powerchords. So if this is your thing, you probably don't need to learn anything more. But even most Punk rockers eventually want to learn other styles like Blues or Jazz. Now you are going to need chords.

So learn all the chords you can. Chords are beautiful and add so much color to music. While powerchords sound "powerful", they are kinda boring if that is all you ever play.

This may sound like an insult, but I can always tell a beginner guitarist when I go to the music store. It's the kid playing 100% power chords. :roll:

I was lucky in that I learned full chords (major, minor, dom7th) first and then tried power chords maybe a half year later. Had I learned power chords first I would be crying at how much harder full chords are. On the other hand, having learned full chords first has gotten me to finger power chords often with a full barre. That's wasteful because the hand expends more energy than necessary.

No, power chords are not bad but don't rely on them and play all power chord songs.